


Oops x1

by Fishyz9



Series: Oops [1]
Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: M/M, Schmico
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-02-24
Packaged: 2019-11-04 23:45:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17907971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fishyz9/pseuds/Fishyz9
Summary: Nico needs to come clean to Levi after a drunken guys' night out with Linc.





	Oops x1

He’s avoiding me. What I told myself was merely overthinking and my tendency to presume the worst this morning is more or less a certainty this afternoon. He didn’t meet me for lunch, which – fine. That happens often, we both get busy and doctors can’t always have a set lunch break. But he’s also conveniently been pulled away whenever I manage to cross paths with him, and most alarming of all he… he won’t look me in the eye. What began as a feeling of unease has become a feeling of dread.

I don’t know what’s changed in forty eight hours, other than his drunken guys’ night out with Linc, but two days ago we were fine. This morning? I get the distinct feeling that something has changed. This push back, this extraction of warmth, this…I can’t assign words to it, but there is a distinct feeling of _closeness_ having been withdrawn and it’s left me bewildered and frightened. The steady stream of text messages have evaporated. No sweet but dangerous touches to the hand as he glides by. Nothing.

I don’t want to lose him. I was fine before, I was fine not knowing, not even being _aware_ of what passion and love, _real_ deep love feels like. And then he came into my life, winking at me and waking me up and helping me become the _me_ I was always supposed to be. I can’t go back to not knowing how that feels, neither can I live without it, so…what the hell am I supposed to do now?

I tell myself that yes, yes ok something _is_ wrong.  But nothing is over yet and I will not be ignored. I find him at the nurses’ station, filling out paperwork. He looks…stressed? Leaning one elbow on the desk and running his fingers through his hair, disturbing the perfect coif of hair to bunch up in a fist as he pushes the paperwork aside. I’d be stressed too to be fair if I had to break the heart of the nerd who was head over heels for me.

I lay my hand at the small of his back and lean forward to speak into his ear. “I need you for a minute.”

When I stand straight and turn to walk away he’s already trying to excuse himself. “I can’t right now I have to –”

“Yes you _can_.” I bite back, leaving no room for argument. I turn to head towards the nearest on call room, not looking back. He wouldn’t dare be so insulting as to not follow after that, I know that much.

I only have to wait a few moments before he walks into the room after me, closing the door and then sliding his hands into his pockets. “Hey.”

“Hey,” I say back, taking a fortifying breath before getting straight to it. “What happened?”

“What?”

“I know I’m not imagining this, you’re avoiding me and I…I’d like to know why. Please.” I shouldn’t have said please. Dammit.

“I’m not –” the withering look I give him stops him mid-sentence. He sighs, his shoulders slumping ever so slightly as he glances away. “Ok, maybe I was avoiding you.”

I thought I’d feel better knowing that I was right and not imagining it, but I don’t. This is worse. I feel my throat instantly grow thick and I blink rapidly for a moment. I will not cry. It was nice while I had it, but if it’s over then I’ll walk away with some dignity intact, I’m determined.

“Last time I saw you everything was fine, so I know that it’s nothing I’ve done…right?”

He swallows and nods his head. “Right.”

“So, what’s going on? Why won’t you look at me? Why is there five feet of space between us when usually one of us would be pressed up against that wall right now?”

He huffs out an unhappy breath. “Because that would probably hurt.”

I squint at him, and when he says nothing else I take a few rushed steps towards him. “That’s it? That’s all I get? You go from being all about me two days ago to suddenly not wanting to be alone in a room with me and that’s all I get?”

He frowns at me. “Levi–”

“I don’t know what’s changed for you, Nico Kim. But nothing has changed for me and I…I don’t want this to be over, ok?” My voice hitches and suddenly it’s me that can’t look him in the eye. So much for dignity. “Y-you don’t get to just make me feel all of this for you and then call it quits. Because I like you too much and…and –”

He moved without me noticing because his hand is suddenly under my chin, lifting it so that I’m looking into concerned, dark brown eyes. “Hey, hey…” he says softly. “No one’s calling anything quits.”

I let out a shuddering breath, my pulse returning to something resembling normal. When I feel composed enough, I thump his chest and push myself back a step “Then what the _hell_?”

He winces, looking away and rubbing the back of his neck.

“Because I know _something’s_ happened.”

He nods. “Ok, fine. Something happened. And I’m sorry to have avoided you, for worrying you; I just haven’t been able to figure out a way to come clean.”

Those words are like a bucket of ice over the head. “Come clean?”

“I…” he visibly struggles with his words, barely able to hold my gaze. “I did something stupid, Levi.”

“Oh…” I whisper.

“When I went out with Linc…see, we went for drinks? But, uh…he was feeling bummed about the whole Deluca, Grey thing so a few drinks turned into a lot of drinks, and…” He lifts remorseful eyes up to meet mine. “There was this guy…”

I instantly look away, folding my arms in front of me, swallowing hard. “You met a guy.” I repeat numbly. I knew it. I knew all of this was too good to be true. After finally getting him alone, I don’t want to be anywhere near him, I don’t want to hear what comes next. I wish it was ten minutes ago. I wish I’d let him avoid me.

“Turns out this guy recognised Linc who fixed up his sister's arm a while ago…”

“How nice.” I say dully.

“Anyway, one thing lead to another and we ended going back to his place, and –”

“That’s such a strange saying. ‘One thing lead to another.’ As if time could logically pass any other way.”

He frowns at me. “What?”

I shake my head. “Nothing. Go on with your super cool story about the guy you met.” I blink hard to push back the stinging in my eyes.

He wets his lips. “So uh…Linc and I went back to his place and –”

“Wait, the _three_ of you?”

He lifts one shoulder. “Yeah?”

“I didn’t think that Linc…”

He waits for me to continue but I’m too flabbergasted. “You didn’t think what?”

“Linc’s not…he’s not gay.”

He frowns, squints at me. “Why would you…” his eyes widen. “Oh my god Levi, _no_.”

The look of mortification on his face would usually make me laugh, but I’m still firmly in shutdown mode and simply look at him.

“ _Levi_!” He laughs in disbelief. “Oh come on, you can’t possibly think that I hooked up with Linc and some random dude?”

“You said ‘coming clean’ and…and that you _met_ someone…”

His expression softens. “Oh god, I’m an idiot. Come here…”

He pulls me close, his arms wrapping around my shoulders. One hand finds its way to the back of my head, his fingers carding through my hair as he presses a kiss to my temple. “Both of those things happened but in the _literal_ sense.”

He pulls back and waits for me to look up at him. “We got blind drunk and I met a guy. We went back to that guy’s place because he wanted to thank the doctor who fixed his little sister’s arm. And yes…” he closes his eyes for a second, wincing again. “Something happened that I need to tell you about _but_ –” he rushes on when I try to pull away from him. “It’s nothing close to what you’re thinking.”

“You weren’t… _with_ this guy?”

His brows pull together sadly into a frown. His thumb tilts my chin up. “Understand this. I have never, nor will I ever want anything or anyone more than I want you.”

Before I can respond, as if such a thing would be possible right now, his hand slides from my chin to circle around the back of my neck and he presses his mouth to mine in a deep kiss. A kiss intended to make me _feel_ what he feels.

I can’t help the small whimper that escapes my lips and the hand at the back of my head, gripping my hair tightens in reflex, a deep groan emitting from somewhere in his throat. We both suck in deep breaths when he breaks the kiss. He rests his brow against mine. My hand wraps around his wrist. “Levi I…” he swallows, and when he tries again we speak at the same time.

“Levi I got a tattoo.”

“I love you.”

He sucks in a quiet breath, pulling back a fraction. I freeze, and instantly feel heat bloom in my cheeks. “Uh…” I tap my finger against his chest. “I…I kind of thought you were going somewhere else with that.”

A look of pure tenderness passes over his face and his thumb brushes against my cheek. “You love me.” He murmurs.

“You…” I frown. “Got a tattoo?”

He groans, closing his eyes and dropping his chin as he laughs pitifully. “Yes. This guy we met owns his own tattoo studio, he lives above it.”

“ _That’s_ what all this has been about?”

“Yeah but…it’s what I got that’s the issue. And are we going to ignore the fact that you just told me you love me?”

“What did you get? And until you say it back, yes, we are.”

He smirks, but then he drops his gaze and backs up slightly until he’s leaning against the wall. He sighs. “Ok, so…I was avoiding you because there’s no way to make this not seem... _excessive_ this early into a relationship.” He lifts his shoulder in a shrug again, smirk back in place. “But then you _did_ just confessed your love for me so –”

“Get to the tattoo, Kim.”

He lets out a small laugh, but then I see a ghost of uncertainty pass over his features. It’s a look of vulnerability that I rarely see from him and which melts me every time. His throat bobs as he swallows hard and he lifts his shirt, holding it in place under his chin as he pulls at the drawstring at the waistband of his scrubs. My eyes widen slightly.

“Where did you get–?” I freeze when I see it.

It’s elegant, small, and follows the distinct V-shape of his lower abdomen. My mouth has travelled those lines many a time, his skin usually quivering beneath my lips, salty with sweat. My lips want to kiss those lines now, to sooth the raised, red flesh.

“Nico.” I practically whisper, walking towards him, my hands resting against his hips. “That’s my name.”

**_Levi_ **

“You freaking out?”

There’s an unmistakeable tone of unease to his voice and I pull my gaze away from my name to meet those chocolate brown eyes, the worry swimming there so evident.

“That’s my name.” I repeat dumbly. Without thinking my hands slide up his chest and I lean my entire weight into him until he thuds against the wall. My mouth covers his in a desperate kiss. “You put my name on your body.” I gasp into the kiss. “Why’d you do that, huh?” I can’t stop kissing him long enough to let him answer and his lips pull into a smile.

“When –” he snorts and tries again with his hand gently laid across my throat to stop my onslaught. “When I couldn’t think of what I wanted, he asked me what my favourite thing was.”

“And you said…”

“Levi. I said Levi.”

I swallow hard. “I’m your favourite thing. You got my name because I’m your favourite thing.”

He leans forward to brush his nose against mine before our lips press in a whisper of a kiss. “Yes. And also I was very drunk.”

I let out a breathless laugh. “You keeping it?” I ask with a raised eyebrow.

“You want me to?”

“Do you want me to want you to?”

He screws his eyes shut and shakes his head with a laugh. “Ok, this is dumb. I love you too, alright? I didn’t intend to get this tattoo but I don’t hate it, could keep it, unless it bothers you in which case I promise to get laser removal and please don’t breakup with me.”

I bite my lip, tilting my head slightly as I lift the hem of his shirt again and pull at the waistband of his pants. My thumb ghosts over it and his stomach dips slightly. “If you keep it then you have to keep me. That’s the deal.” I murmur, my hands squeezing at his waist as I lean into him.

“That was the plan.” He says. His voice somehow impossibly deep and impossibly soft at the same time.

I tilt my chin up for a slow and lazy kiss. “God I love kissing you.” I breathe, eyes closed. “It’s like nothing else, rivalled only by actual sex with you.”

 “I love that you have absolutely no filter, you know that? It’s amazing.”

“Does it hurt?” I murmur as I nuzzle at his neck, pressing my lips against his throat.

“Stings a little.” He sucks in a quick breath. “Do that again…” he whispers in a rare, breathless request.

I smirk, letting the scruff of my chin drag against his smooth neck as I kiss the sensitive spot behind his ear. “I wanna play with it later.”

He lets out breathless laugh. “I’ve no idea what ‘play with it’ means but the answer is yes.”

“Take this off.” I lift the hem of his shirt up. “I need to inspect the rest of you.”

He lets me lift his shirt over his head, giving me a knowing look. “Your face isn’t plastered on my back or anything, don’t worry.”

“As if I’m going to take your word for it, now let me see…”

It’s a painfully obvious excuse to put my hands on him but he smirks and goes along with it. My hands rest on his shoulders, sliding down to his chest. He knows how much I love his chest and when I look up at him that knowing look is staring right back at me.

“Nothing here…” My hands slide south and I dip my head and press my lips against his chest.  The soft sigh he lets out makes my hands twitch. I know we don’t have time, but I can’t pull myself away from him.

Without saying a word my hands at his waist turn him, and he lets out a breathless laugh when his chest is suddenly to the wall and I’m faced with the smooth, muscular expanse of his back. I can’t believe I get to touch this body, that he _likes_ me touching his body like this.

My hands slide from his shoulders to grip his biceps and I kiss the back of his shoulder, turning to press my cheek against it. I circle his waist and hug him impossibly close. “Do you have any idea how stunning you are?”

“Levi…” He turns and I allow him to but only so I can tighten my hold on him with my cheek to his shoulder, under his chin, my favourite place.

“It’d be easier to bear if you were kind of a jerk sometimes, but you’re so freakin’ sweet and funny and… _god_.” I let out a heavy sigh. “It scares me how much I want you.”

“You have me, _hey_ …” I look up at him. “Enjoy me,” he says softly. “You’re an intern; you have _enough_ to be anxious over.” He shakes his head. “Don’t add me to your list of worries when I’m your safe harbour.”

I feel something crumble inside of me, but in a good way. I can’t help but thunk my forehead against his chest, under his chin. “And then you go and say romantic crap like that and I…I _can’t_ with you.”

He chuckles softly but before either of us can say another thing the sound of a beeper going off interrupts the moment.

“That’s me,” he says, looking at his beeper. “Damn, Linc’s been waiting on me.”

I snag up his shirt for him and he hooks his head through and then pulls me forward for a quick kiss. “We’re good, right? This has all been a lot and it’s been stressing the hell out of me.” He says with a small laugh.

I smile and pat his chest. “If you’re my safe harbour then I’m yours.”

He smiles softly and pulls me close for one more soft kiss, his hand at the back of my neck. “I’ll see you later. Linc’s …having _a day_ , shall we say.”

“Oh?”

I can see he’s restraining a grin as he opens the door. “Well, the poor guy _is_ walking around with a giant butterfly tattoo on his arm.”

I feel my face go slack. “No.”

“He kept going on about wanting the butterflies we have. Tattoo guy took it the wrong way and one thing lead–”

“–Lead to another.” We finish at the same time and I tip my head back and laugh.

He leans against the door handle, gives me one of his rarer, soft smiles reserved just for me. “Later, handsome.”

I wave, and he closes the door.

Nico Kim has my name tattooed on his skin, which feels fitting because I have his name carved in my heart.

 

 


End file.
